This article is from page 9 of the 2011-08-23 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 9 JPG
A PROGRAMME that is geared towards helping youths to develop their confidence and life skills has mushroomed in Clare this year. The Baha’iinspired Junior Youth Empowerment programme has set up nine branches across the county as up to 80 young people in Clare and Limerick are learning through the scheme.
Volunteers work with youths in the 11 to 15 age bracket. They navigate and nurture them through their daily activities. The aim is that their work with the youths will help them to build confidence and progress in life.
It initially became popular in Shannon after two young men – Mark Barry and Aron Foley – decided to take time out of their education last year to focus on working on the programme. They set up two groups in Shannon and other branches have since been set up in Ennis, Kilrush, Killaloe and Parteen.
Clare Jamal O’Brien, who lives in Ennis, works with the Junior Youth programme on a full-time basis and is thrilled to see that numbers of young people involved have increased rapidly. Clare is a member of the Baha’i community but stresses that the programme is open to all religions.
“You see the commitment of individuals who care about the progress of their communities. These young people are key to ensuring the betterment of their communities. People sincerely have a desire to contribute to their society but many people don’t know how to do that,” she said.
“This is a spiritual empowerment programme. Most of the people who used to run these programmes were of the Baha’i community but now they are from a multitude of religious backgrounds and, in some cases, no religious backgrounds,” said Clare.
The various groups all operate on an individual basis. Some meet regularly, while others hold infrequent meetings. “The groups are varied. One group in Shannon meets almost every single day. Other groups would meet at least once a week. They decide how they would meet.
“They start at the age of 11 or 12 and complete it at 15. After that they can continue on and train to serve the community or train some of their friends in Junior Youth. Parents can come and contribute. The role parents play is vital,” Clare said.
Clare believes that the increase in interest in Clare is down to the fact that “people have been interested and committed to learning. It is important that young people have spiritual relationships with each other regardless of their religious backgrounds”.
The aim is to further increase the numbers involved with Junior Youth. “Our goal is to see 200 members in Clare and Limerick in the next few months,” said Clare.
Anyone wishing to get involved in Junior Youth should phone 087 2047162.